June 1, 2008
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High Grade Grading

Our heartfelt congratulations to all those who participated in the high grade grading at MVD on Friday night. Shihan Honmer from Tokyo Headquarters took time out of his busy schedule (he teaches 15 classes per week!) to officiate in the grading of 10 of NZ’s highest graded instructors. The grading was for 3rd, 4th & 5th dans including our very own Sensei Chris. Shihan Takiwa took the grading which consisted of basics, pushups, unrehearsed moving training, jump kicks, kata and of course fighting – 30 for 3rd dans, 40 for 4th dans and 50 for Chris.

It was a very special evening for us, not only because Chris was grading but it also meant a lot for us to host the event at Mt Vic Dojo AND to have some very old friends grading at the same time and under our own branch chief, Shihan Takiwa. Many of our students haven’t met Sensei Raan but may not be surprised to know he was training with Chris when they were both woolley headed, lightweight 14 year olds. It was very special for them to be grading alongside each other again almost 30 years on (and a little spooky how similar their styles are still!). We were also very pleased to welcome all the students and guests who came from the deep south to the far north to support and participate.

Shihan Honmer sent the message from Kancho Matsui that gradings provide a special opportunity for participants and those watching to learn and I’m sure all present could appreciate how accurate that message was on the night.

Of course I’m biased but I have to say how proud I am of Chris. I’m borrowing someone else’s words when I say I thought he was dazzling and inspirational. It was extraordinary but didn’t surprise me that he could appear entirely relaxed thoughout the grading, demonstrating strength, accuracy, agility, composure, endurance, perserverence and still crack a joke. Chris once said to me, when I was over anxious right before a fight “This is what we do. Just do what we do.” To me, he demonstrated on Friday night that Kyokushin is what he does. From his jumping spinning kicks to his kata to his leg attack.

Somebody asked me near the end of the fighting how I felt watching him (to be fair, looking rather distressed having quietly dislocated and relocated his fingers in fight two and with an apparent broken rib after fight 43) and I realised I felt pleased for him. My reply was “he can handle it”. I knew it didn’t matter what happened during the fights nothing would stop him enjoying ‘doing what we do’. He’s been busting to do 50 fights and the opportunity was like lego to a 6 year old! To me Chris IS Kyokushin. Regardless whether Kancho decides to promote him as a result of the test I feel very lucky to have him as my instructor and mentor. If I could just train him to pick up after himself he’d be the perfect husband.

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